Set on the edge of Ria Formosa natural park, a mere 20-minute ride from well-connected Faro Airport, Quinta do Lago resort is ideally placed in the minds of international investors.
What was once known as the ideal retirement destination for avid golfers has been transformed into a resort for all the family, boasting a diverse range of dining options on-site, activities to suit all tastes and age ranges, and a year-round events calendar.
With a relentless focus on guest service fused with first class facilities, Quinta do Lago has arrived at a lifestyle based formula which is bearing fruit – none more so than at its real estate development, Reserva, where pre-sales of luxury apartments have already exceeded 70%.
Luís Filipe, Guest Services and Relations Director at Quinta do Lago, explains the importance of the resort’s evolution in the context of the recent findings from the European Tour Properties Real Estate Report:
“With the rapid pace of change at Quinta do Lago, this report has provided the opportunity to step back and assess our direction of travel in relation to other resorts.
“Thankfully, the findings have served as validation for our areas of current focus and investment, as well as providing an invaluable insight into what aspects of the resort we should be looking at next.
“Golf is, and has always been, at the heart of the resort. We know from this report that plots with views of the golf course carry the highest premium, and this is reflected in the sale price of our golf-facing plots. However, there are clearly limits to the number of golf-facing plots we can sell – and this is where, moving forward, it is our responsibility to fiercely protect the quality of the plots and ensure there is no intrusion or compromise to the golfing experience.
“Logically, one would expect golf-facing plots to mainly appeal to golf buyers. But with the report revealing that two-thirds of property buyers are non-golfers, we now know this is not the case. This tells us, certainly from an overseas buyer perspective, that plots or existing villas are viewed, perhaps primarily, as a secure investment opportunity. And while we have a lot to offer in this regard – from high service standards, high security and easy access – we understand that the real value at Quinta do Lago will be realised from their living experience of the resort.
“For almost every golfer out on the course, there is a non-golfer either at home or looking for something to do. And this is where our extensive investment programme aims to set us apart from other golf resorts, not only in the Algarve, but further afield too.
“Our newly opened development, The Campus, is part of that mission, offering world class training opportunities as well as regular events and activities. Among them is a group bike ride which we call a ‘weekly social spin’, and Junior Tennis Camps run by newly-announced partner Judy Murray.
“Not only is The Campus set to position the resort as one of the elite global performance centres, it will also further diversify the activity offering, helping to consolidate the sense of community at Quinta do Lago and appeal to a new wave of overseas buyers – golfers and non-golfers.
“While the real estate report was an encouraging confirmation of the path we have chosen at Quinta do Lago, we also see it as a challenge: a challenge to keep evolving, to keep growing our offering, and yet always to hold firm to our foundation as a world-class golf venue.”
